Unit Manager

Compass Group PLC; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Compass Group PLC is seeking a proactive Unit Manager to lead our healthcare catering team, delivering safe, nutritious meals and exceptional patient experiences.

You will oversee patient dining, staff development, client relationships, and financial controls to meet quality and contractual targets in a fast-paced environment.

Join a dedicated team committed to service excellence, hygiene, and continuous improvement across hospital sites.

Qualifications

• 1+ years of experience as Unit Manager or equivalent.
• Proven leadership and people management skills.
• Strong client relationship management abilities.
• Experience in financial and cost control management.
• Commitment to high standards of food quality, hygiene, and service.

Responsibilities

• Oversee patient dining and staff feeding services, ensuring high standards of food production and service delivery.
• Manage and develop a motivated catering team with hands-on training and coaching.
• Build strong relationships with clients and engage with patients to drive improvements.
• Ensure budgets, cost controls, inventory, and month-end processes are met.
• Maintain health and safety compliance and complete audits.

Skills

Management

Time management

Customer focus

Leadership & development

Financial acumen

Adaptability

Stakeholder management

IT proficiency

Job description

Are you passionate about delivering exceptional dining experiences in a healthcare setting? Due to our continued growth and expansion across all of our Healthcare Portfolios we are seeking dedicated Unit Managers to lead our catering team ensuring the highest standards of food quality, service, and patient care.

About the Role

As Unit Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing patient dining and staff feeding services, ensuring consistently high standards in food production and service delivery. Your role will involve managing and developing your team, maintaining strong client relationships, and ensuring financial, operational, and contractual targets are met., Service Excellence:Prioritise patient dining, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, nutritious meals.

Service Excellence

• Prioritise patient dining, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, nutritious meals.
• Maintain high standards in food preparation, cooking, and service.
• Implement measures for continuous improvement, addressing feedback proactively.
• Oversee hospitality and events, ensuring quality and consistency.

Team Leadership & Development

• Manage and develop a motivated and skilled catering team.
• Provide hands‑on training, coaching, and support to maintain service excellence.
• Ensure employees have the necessary resources to perform at a high standard.
• Monitor performance, addressing concerns in line with company policies.

Client & Customer Engagement

• Build strong relationships with clients, ensuring their needs are met.
• Regularly review patient feedback and take action to improve satisfaction scores.
• Engage directly with patients and staff to gain insights and drive enhancements.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Ensure financial targets, including budgets and cost controls, are met.
• Manage inventory, ordering, stock levels, and waste control efficiently.
• Oversee administration and month‑end financial processes.

Health & Safety Compliance

• Ensure a safe, hygienic kitchen environment that meets all health and safety standards.
• Complete audits and follow up on action points to maintain compliance.

What We're Looking For

• Management Experience: Strong background in managing catering operations and teams.
• Time Management: Ability to plan effectively and meet deadlines.
• Customer Focus: Passion for delivering outstanding patient and customer experiences.
• Leadership & Development: Skilled in coaching, training, and motivating teams.
• Financial Acumen: Strong understanding of budgeting, cost control, and commercial awareness.
• Adaptability: Able to handle change in a fast‑paced environment.
• Stakeholder Management: Capable of building and maintaining strong client relationships.
• IT Proficiency: Comfortable using IT systems for operations management.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Ideally 1+ years of experience as a Unit Manager or equivalent.
• Proven leadership and people management skills.
• Strong client relationship management abilities.
• Experience in financial and cost control management.
• Commitment to high standards of food quality, hygiene, and service.